Petals in Shadow
by Clearwater Riverstone
Summary: "When darkness alights on a flower's petals, it will yield its sweet nectar, and the ultimate battle will come, where the end of the clans draws near..." A tale of forbidden love. By Clearwater Riverstone AND Mosswhisker (couldn't have done it without her).
1. Chapter 1

**Petals in Shadow**

_Prologue_

The stars shone coldly in the dark night sky, offering no comfort to the fiery red tom crouched beneath the green foliage. He crept out of the shadows once he caught sight of his beloved former leader. The moonlight clung to her pelt, making it shine silver.

"Greetings, Bluestar. I trust you have heard the news?" the fiery tom meowed.

"It is grave news indeed," Bluestar replied, pricking her ears as she heard hurried footsteps entering the clearing.

A black and white tom stepped into the clearing, followed by a brown tom.

Bluestar inclined her head. "Tallstar, Tornear, we have been expecting you."

"Bluestar," Tallstar meowed curtly.

"What's this about Ravenshadow and Petalfrost?" Tornear demanded.

Bluestar glanced at him coolly. "I too am confused. We hoped that one of you could tell us."

"We came here to find a solution to this problem, not to squabble like kits!" the fiery red tom meowed sharply as he stood tall and proud, not flinching even when Bluestar turned around to glare at him.

"Firestar's right, what do we do about this?" Tallstar meowed to break the mounting tension.

"We can do nothing," Bluestar sighed.

Tornear glanced at her incredulously. "We are doing nothing?"

"What can we do? Send them a sign? I doubt they will heed it if the prophecy speaks true," Firestar sided with Bluestar.

"Prophecy?" Tallstar asked suspiciously. "Have you been keeping anything from us Bluestar?"

"No. I was going to tell you about it when you demanded from me an answer to a question I myself am not so sure of."

Tallstar muttered something that sounded like an apology.

Bluestar flicked her tail in acceptance and continued in an ominous voice that sent chills through the gathered cats.

"**When darkness alights on a flower's petals, it will yield its sweet nectar, and the time will come for the ultimate battle, where the end of the Clans draws near.**"

Please review!:)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the cats except Petalfrost and Maplefrost.**

**Chapter 1**

"Petalfrost!" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned to see my sister, Maplefrost looking at me with a concerned expression.

"I've been calling you for ages and you were not answering. You seem to be in very deep thought. Are you okay? I mean these days you have not really been yourself, not to mention, you wake me up every night tossing and turning!" Maplefrost meowed.

"Just my dreams," I replied. Not wanting to be 'interrogated' further, I stood up and made my way over to where the clan deputy, Squirrelflight, was sorting out the patrols. I could feel my sister's gaze burning into my pelt every step of the way.

My dreams were all about the cat I had seen at a gathering the last moon. He was not very striking with a black pelt and blue eyes but I was somehow drawn to him. For no reason, he has been filing my dreams ever since.

"Now, Spiderleg, you lead a border patrol along the Shadowclan border. Take Cherrywing and Lionblaze with you. Dovewing, you lead a hunting patrol. Take Cinderheart and Petalfrost with you," Squirrelflight meowed.

At the mention of my name, I followed Dovewing and Cinderheart out of camp. "Now, since prey is scarce, I think it's best if we split up. Cinderheart, head lakeward and see what you can find there. I'll see what I can find over at the Windclan border and Petalfrost, you can hunt around here. Meet back here once you are done," Dovewing instructed before she headed off to the Windclan border.

Cinderheart headed towards the lake while I stood where I was, sniffing the air. I finally smelt mouse and went completely still. I soon heard its scuffling. It was nearby. I dropped into a hunter's crouch and crept forward, one stealthy pawstep at a time.

I was about to pounce when suddenly, a silver and white cat burst out of the undergrowth. Ivypool.

"Where is Dovewing?" she asked, breathless.

"She headed towards the Windclan border. But I do not understand why your urgency to speak with your sister causes you to go running through the forest like a blind badger and scaring off other cats' prey!" I snapped.

Ivypool flattened her ears. "I'm sorry, but it's not like you've never scared off prey before!"

"Prey is scarce now and I doubt I would be able to find prey as plump as that!" I growled.

"What did Bumblestripe even teach you?" she asked, the sarcasm clear in her voice.

A bush rustled nearby and Cinderheart stepped out. The annoyance was clear in her voice as she meowed, "I would appreciate it if you two would stop standing here bickering like kits and instead hunt for prey!"

Ivypool opened her mouth as if to protest, but thought better of it and closed her mouth. She only managed to say, "I was just looking for Dovewing…"

Cinderheart glared at her. "No excuses. You two were squabbling loud enough I bet Riverclan could hear you. And Dovewing is hunting, so you cannot speak to her now."

"B-but it is urgent! I need to speak with her immediately," Ivypool insisted.

Cinderheart eyed her. "What is it that is so urgent and yet, we do not know of it?"

"Because it just happened…only just, so I came running to tell you, but Dovewing has to hear it first. Or I can go call her and you can hear it together…" Ivypool murmured.

"No need to call me, I'm already here. What is it that is so urgent?" Dovewing appeared from behind a bush.

Ivypool took a deep breath, but was silent for a long while. "Go on," I encouraged.

"Whitewing is dead!" she meowed, her voice cracked with grief. "She was killed by a snake, Foxleap tried to save her, but he was too late! When he had killed the snake, the poison had already taken over her."

Ivypool's head drooped and Dovewing was staring at her as if Ivypool had grown another head. "W-Whitewing i-is d-dead?" she repeated.

"Yes," was the rasped answer.

Cinderheart stayed still. I could clearly see the sadness in her eyes, but she pushed it away. She placed her tail tip lightly on Dovewing's shoulder. "Do not let your grief overcome you. Be strong. Your mother would be watching you now. Up there."

Dovewing sighed. "Why did they have to take her?" she asked wretchedly.

Cinderheart shook her head. "I don't know. Starclan works in its own ways."

I sighed. There were so many deaths these days. Purdy had died of old age and was now reunited with Mousefur in Starclan. Dustpelt was killed by a badger when he decided to take a stroll in the forest. Shadowclan had reported that one of their warriors had been attacked by a fox and died of its injuries. I can't remember who though.

We hunted for a while more, before heading back to camp, eaack of us carrying a scrawny prey in our jaws. True enough, Whitewing's body lay in the middle of the clearing. Birchfall was beside her, his head bowed in sadness. As I dropped my prey down on the small heap of fresh kill.

Just then, the rain started to pour, as if Starclan also mourned for the loss of Whitewing.


End file.
